DEREK Adams has challenged City’s youngsters to prove they are first-team ready – as he chucks in Finn Cousin-Dawson against Nottingham Forest.

The 19-year-old gets the nod at right back at the City Ground tonight with Oscar Threlkeld forced to sit it out.

It is a show of faith from Adams in a defender who played 26 games during a breakthrough first season.

But the Bantams boss insists there is no time for learning on the job for any of the squad’s younger members and they must be up to the task now.

He said: “We’ve got 24 players at the moment and can’t carry many more because the club have this ethos that they want to promote their youth players. We have to do it in the right circumstances.

“Finn is going to play at right back and it’s an opportunity. That’s what we’ve got to try and do.

“There’s no point in having young players in the first-team squad and we have an injury in their position, if they’re not going to get a game.

“As Ryan(Sparks) has alluded to in the past, this is the ethos that they want. They want to try and sell players for profit to help the first team in future years.

“The issue we’ve got at Bradford City promoting young players into the first team is that they’ve got to be good enough.

“We don’t have the time to develop them in the first team if they’re not good enough right away.

“We’re not an Exeter, so to speak, who throw young players in, don’t really want to get promoted and are happy to stay in the division but the ethos is sell a player on and generate enough money.

“Would the Bradford City fans be happy with that? I don’t think so.

“They want to see their first team get promoted into League One.

“But you can’t do both all the time. You can try but it is very difficult.”

Cousin-Dawson, Kian Scales, Reece Staunton and Jorge Sikora all got a taste of senior action last season, although none were in the squad for the opening day at Exeter.

Adams added: “They got good experience last year. They finished 15th in the league and got experience from that.

“Finn is going to play and that gives him good exposure.”

Adams admits that it won’t be a level playing field as the Bantams plot a Carabao Cup first-round upset against a home team two divisions above.

“I think there’s a big difference between the Championship and League One and League One and League Two, not only financially but squad-wise as well,” he said.

“Forest are a very good outfit and play in a way that suits them and has got results.

“They are always a special club to go to, European Cup winners twice and they did really well under the (Brian) Clough era.

“As a footballer you want to play against top clubs and Forest are one of them.

“I think it’s a nice venue to go to. It’s a beautiful stadium.

“But it’s difficult because you’re not on an even playing field. We’re definitely the underdog on the night but surprises do happen in this competition.”